Feminine syringe



March 27, 1956 w. WILES ETAL FEMININE SYRINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1953 S m mv Y m E F F. E NLOO HM MW 0 w. n NTE A m L E ww E E l WHV March 1956 w. WILES ETAL 2,739,592

FEMININE SYRINGE Filed Jan. 13, 1953 2 Sheets-Shem 2 INVENTORS WESTERN WILES By HERBERT O. HOFFMAN VIRGIL E. SCOBEY 020M. tow

ATTORNEYS from a water tap or faucet without the use United States Patent() FEMININE SYRINGE Western Wiles, Herbert 0. Hoffman, and Virgil E. Scobey,

Ashiand, Ohio, assignors to The Faultless Rubber Company, Ashland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 13, 1953, Serial No. 330,948 11 Claims. (Cl. 128-232) This invention relates to feminine syringes, and especially to a feminine syringe which is especially adapted to be filled in a sanitary manner and which is adapted to be completely filled with liquid.

Heretofore various types of feminine syringes have been made but they all have basically comprised substantially the same elements or members. These syringes have included a bulb member to which a tubular discharge member is secured. The discharge member has a plurality of apertures therein for release of liquid therefrom when the syringe is being operated for cleansing purposes. herent in all previous types of feminine syringes that have been made, insofar as we are aware, is that it is difiicult to fill the bulb of the syringe completely with liquid, as the filling previously has been by suction action, so that when collapsing the bulb portion of the syringe for discharge of liquid, air will discharge along with the water, and such discharged air is objectionable since it reduces the fiow of cleansing liquid, and because the air may become entrapped in body openings and retain water in such openings. This air and water will flow from the body openings at a later time and cannot be controlled by the person, so that such discharge is objectionable. Also, air pockets within the body reduces the effectiveness of the syringe action, regardless of whether it is being used for cleansing or enema purposes.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved type of a feminine syringe which is characterized by its ability to be completely filled of any separate container for cleansing liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new type of a feminine syringe which can be easily cleaned and which is particularly hygienic to use.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a flexible bulb with a filling opening in the base portion of the bulb, and with the filling opening being substantially of the same diameter as the base of the bulb.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an inwardly extending sleeve or neck portion in a flexible bulb wherein such sleeve or neck is of generally funnel shape in section and facilitates filling the bulb with liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feminine syringe wherein a tubular discharge member is removably connected to the bulb of the syringe and wherein the discharge member directly forms a tight seal with the bulb portion of the syringe.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein certain currently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly shown in section, of one One problem which has been in- 2,739,592 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 2 type of feminine syringe embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the syringe in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the base of the bulb of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary vertical sections through the bases of modified types of bulbs especially adapted for use with feminine syringes; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of yet a further modification of the feminine syringe of the invention and wherein the removable closure is provided at the neck portion of the bulb.

The present invention relates to feminine syringes that may comprise an oval shaped resilient bulb having a base portion and an apertured neck, a tubular discharge member removably engaging the neck of the bulb, an inwardly extending sleeve formed integrally with the base portion of the bulb, a ferrule vulcanized in the sleeve, and a closure engaging the ferrule so that the discharge member and the closure may be disengaged from the bulb to permit passage of cleaning liquid through the bulb and ready filling of the bulb through the base sleeve portion therein. in some instances the filling sleeve and ferrule may be in the neck of the bulb.

in the accompanying drawings and specification, corresponding numerals will be used to refer to corresponding parts so that a ready comparison may be made between the drawings and specification.

In order to understand the invention completely, reference must be had to the details of the structure illustrated and described herein and wherein a feminine syringe is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. The syringe 1 includes a substantially oval-shaped resilient bulb 2, usually made from high grade rubber or other flexible material, and a discharge tube 3 which is of a flexible or rigid construction and which has a plurality of discharge apertures 4 at the free end thereof. Usually the discharge tube 3 is secured to the bulb 2 in a removable manner.

The bulb 2 has a base portion 5 and an inwardly extending sleeve 6 usually is formed integrally with the wall of the bulb 2. This sleeve 6, as an important feature of the invention, is of conical shape in section and is of reduced diameter in a direction extending inwardly of the bulb 2. Fig. 1 shows that the surface of the sleeve 6 adjacent the inner surface of the bulb is of smooth contour and blends in with the internal contour of the bulb 2 so that no crevices or sharp corners are provided in the bulb 2. Thus it is easy to clean the inside of the bulb at any desired time. The outer or exposed surface of the sleeve 6 includes a shoulder 7 which is directed axially outwardly of the bulb 2 and such shoulder 7 has a rib 8 thereon to facilitate sealing the end of the sleeve 6 with a closure member, as hereinafter described.

In order to simplify the attachment of a closure memher to the sleeve 6, a ferrule 9, which is made from metal or other suitable material, is vulcanized in the sleeve at a tubular inner portion thereof. This ferrule 9 usually has a substantially conical inwardly extending flange 10 extending therefrom that is embedded in the sleeve 6 to anchor the ferrule in position. It should be particularly noted that the axially outer end of the ferrule 9 is positioned axially inwardly of the outer portion of the rib 8 to leave such rib available for sealing purposes. The sleeve 6 is closed by means of a suitable closure cap 11 which is in removable engagement with the ferrule 9. This cap 11 may be of metal or plastic, as desired, but it is important that such cap 11 have a shoulder 12 provided on it inner surface and with such shoulder 12 occupying a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the cap 11 so that such shoulder 12 can be brought into sealing engagement with the rib 8 when the cap is I tightly screwed into engagement with the ferrule 9.

Preferably an apertured cup 13, usually made from metal, is carried by the inner portion of the ferrule 9 by means of an outwardly directed flange 14 formed on such cup 13. The ferrule 9 has an inwardly extending flange 15 on which the flange 14 seats so that the cup 13 can be removably positioned in the rubber bulb 2. Thus if any type of a cleaning capsule or powder is to be used in combination with the syringe 1, a desired quantity of such material can be placed in the cup 13 and then water or other cleaning liquid can be flowed through the cup 13 to dissolve the material and make a hygienic cleaning solution from water flowing directly from a water tap.

It should be particularly noted that the outermost portion of the sleeve 6 is of the maximum diameter of the base of the bulb 2 so that the largest possible filling opening is presented for the bulb 2 and the tapered inner surface gives a funnel filling action for the bulb.

Usually the discharge tube 3 has a removable sealing cap 16 over the apertured portion thereof and a suitable shield 17 also may be carried by the discharge tube 3, as is conventional in syringes of this type. In all events, it is possible to fill the bulb 2 as full as desired without use of any separate filling receptacle such as a wash basin or the like because tap water can be run directly into the bulb 2 through the sleeve 6. Hence such water used in a feminine syringe will not be contaminated in any way, and the bulb 2 can be completely filled with liquid before the cap 11 is placed into engagement with the ferrule 9 and the feminine syringe inverted for operative use thereof. If one attempted to fill a conventional feminine syringe from the tap by removal of the discharge tube and running water into the bulb through the neck, a quantity of water would be spilled from the bulb when re-engaging the discharge neck.

The embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 4 is very similar to the feminine syringe 1 although in this instance a bulb 2a is provided with a sleeve 6a that has an inwardly directed shoulder 7a at its inner end. An axially outwardly directed cylindrical portion 8a of reduced diameter is carried by the shoulder 7a. A metal ferrule 9a is vulcanized to the sleeve 6a, and such ferrule has a base flange 10a which is embedded in the shoulder 7a and sleeve 6a with a threaded portion of such ferrule 9a being exposed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 8a of the sleeve. A conventional closure or cap 11a is shown engaged with the ferrule 9a to provide a removable closure therefor. The bulb 2a usually is sealed by means of a suitable gasket 21 which is pressed against an outer end of the ferrule 9a by the closure or cap 11a. The ferrule 9a has an inwardly extending edge flange a at its axially outer end and it engages a flange 14a on an apertured metal cup 13:: which is positioned within the rubber bulb 2a for receipt of suitable amounts of cleansing powders, or similar materials. It will be noted that the sleeve 6a is generally funnel-shaped and that the outer end of such sleeve is positioned axially outwardly of the rubber bulb beyond the axially outer end of the cylindrical portion 8a of the sleeve 6a. Thus, water or other liquid can be poured into the general opening defined by the sleeve 6a and it can fill up the portion or space intermediate the portion 8a and the remainder of the inner surface of the sleeve 6:: to overflow into the bulb 2a through the opening in the portion 8a of the sleeve.

The modification of the invention shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings includes a rubber bulb 2b which has an inwardly directed, substantially conical sleeve 6b integrally formed therewith. This sleeve terminates in an inwardly directed shoulder 7b and a ferrule 9b usually is vulcanized to the sleeve 6b on the inner surface thereof. The ferrule has an outwardly extending curved flange 10b that is embedded in the rubber of the sleeve 6b to anchor the ferrule in place. The ferrule 9b is threaded and is exposed in the inner surface of the sleeve 6b for engagement with a threaded portion on a closure 11b provided for sealing the'sleeve opening. Usually, a radially inwardly extending flange 15b is provided on the axially inner end of the ferrule 9b and the closure of the opening in the sleeve is provided by a gasket 31, which is of conventional construction and which i carried by the inner end of the closure 11!). This gasket 31 is compressed between the closure 11b and the flange 151) formed on the ferrule 9b. Thus, an effective closing action can be secured for the sleeve 6!), whereas the sleeve is substantially of funnel or hopper shape so that it is easy to fill the bulb 2b with liquid through the opening in the sleeve when the closure 11b is removed.

Fig. 6 of the drawings shows a syringe structure of the invention, wherein only one filling opening is provided for the bulb, which filling opening is adapted to receive the discharge tube of the syringe for sealing such opening in the bulb. In this instance, a bulb 40 is provided and it has an integral neck or filling sleeve 41 extending therefrom. Usually, a suitable ferrule 42 is vulcanized to the inner surface of the neck 41 with such a ferrule having an arcuate axially outer .flange 43that is embedded in the material forming the neck 4-1 to anchor the ferrule in position. Of course, the exposed surface of the ferrule 42 is threaded for removable engagement with a closure member, as hereinafter described. The drawing clearly shows that an axially inner flange 44 is provided on the ferrule 42 and it extends radially inwardly of the neck 41 to terminate in a cup-engaging flange 45 which is of reduced diameter with relation to the inner flange 44 and which flange 45 is positioned axially inwardly of the bulb 40 with relationto the flange '44. A metal cup 46, like the cup 13, is removably engaged with the cup seat flange 45. The neck 41 is sealed by a discharge tube 47 that is provided with a threaded end 48 which engages the ferrule 42. The discharge tube 47 has an end which seats on the inner flange 44 of the ferrule to close the opening in the neck 41 of the bulb. The discharge tube also acts to retain the cup 46 against any undesired movement. Fig. 6 shows that the ferrule 42 terminates short of the outer end of the neck 41, and the inner surface of the neck is slanted at 49 to aid in forming a filling opening in the bulb and to connect to the ferrule 42. The axially inner end of the neck 41 has a shoulder 50 usually provided therein and it is bonded to and reinforces the flanges 44 and 45.

It will be noted that in all instances, the filling openings provided in the bulbs of the invention have tapered or conical-like inner surfaces, or the openings may comprise conical members positioned inwardly of the bulbs periphery, so that it is easy to fill such openings in the bulbs as their shape is inherently funneldike to aid in obtaining the desired filling action without spilling any liquid.

It will be realized that any natural or synthetic rubber or rubber-like material, or a suitable plastic material, may be used'to make the bulbs of the syringes.

If desired, the ferrule 9b in Fig. 5 may have an inner flange added to the flange 15b to position a cup within the bulb 2b.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that a novel type of a feminine syringe has been provided, which syringe is easy to fill, and which can be easily maintained in a hygienic condition. The rubber bulb of the syringe can readily be completely filled with a liquid and all air can be exhausted therefrom and be used Without the reentry of air into the rubber bulb so that a liquid cleansing material can be ejected from the discharge portion of this syringe when used. Accordingly, it is thought that the objects of the invention have been realized.

While several complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of these particular embodiments of the invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

arsaesa What is claimed is:

1. In a feminine syringe, a resilient bulb having a base portion, an inwardly extending filling sleeve formed integrally with the base of the bulb, a threaded ferrule engaging said sleeve on the inner surface thereof, said sleeve having a substantially funnel-shape inner surface, and a sealing cap engaging said ferrule and sealing said sleeve, said sealing cap being within the periphery of the base of the bulb.

2. In a feminine syringe, a flexible bulb having a neck opening for engaging a discharge tube, said bulb having a flat base portion, an inwardly extending filling sleeve formed integrally with the base of the bulb, a threaded ferrule engaging said sleeve on the inner surface thereof, said sleeve having a funnel-shape inner surface at the outer end thereof where said sleeve joins the base of the said bulb, and a sealing cap engaging said ferrule and sealing said sleeve.

3. A feminine syringe comprising an oval-shaped flexible bulb having a base portion and an apertured neck portion, a tubular discharge member removably engaging said neck portion, an inwardly extending sleeve formed integrally with said base portion and being of a diameter substantially equal to that of the base portion, a ferrule secured to said sleeve, and a closure engaging said ferrule whereby said discharge member and said closure may be disengaged from neck portion and ferrule to permit passage of cleaning liquid through said bulb.

4. In a feminine syringe, a rubber bulb having an inwardly extending filling sleeve formed integrally with the base of the bulb, said sleeve having a shoulder at the inner end thereof and an axially outwardly directed tubular end portion of smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of said sleeve, a ferrule having a tubular threaded portion engaging said sleeve end portion, said sleeve end portion terminating axially inwardly of the outer end of said sleeve, and a closure threadedly engaging said ferrule.

5. In a feminine syringe, a resilient bulb having a neck opening for engaging a discharge tube, said bulb having a flat base portion, an inwardly extending filling sleeve formed integrally with the base of the bulb, said sleeve having a shoulder at the inner end thereof and an axially outwardly directed tubular end portion of smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of said sleeve, a ferrule having a base flange embedded in said sleeve and a tubular threaded portion engaging the outer surface of said sleeve end portion, said sleeve end portion terminat ing axially inwardly of the outer end of said sleeve, and a closure threadedly engaging said ferrule.

6. A resilient bulb comprising a body having a base portion with the body increasing in diameter from such base, a sleeve formed integrally with the base of said body and extending inwardly of said body and being of reduced diameter inwardly of said body, a ferrule secured in said sleeve, said sleeve having an axially outwardly directed shoulder therein with an annular rib thereon and with said ferrule being positioned axially inwardly of said body from said shoulder, and a closure engaging said ferrule and bearing on said rib to seal said sleeve.

7. A bulb comprising a resilient body having a base portion with the body increasing in diameter from such base, and a sleeve formed integrally with said body and extending inwardly of said body and being of reduced diameter inwardly of said body, a ferrule secured in said sleeve, said sleeve having an outwardly directed shoulder with said ferrule being positioned axially inwardly of said body from said shoulder, said sleeve being at its outer end of the diameter of said base portion, said ferrule having a radially inwardly extending support flange on its axially inner end to support a cup member in the bulb.

8. In a compressible bulb, a body portion having a base, an inwardly extending sleeve having an outer end that blends smoothly into said base, said sleeve being of generally conical shape in cross-section, a ferrule carried by said sleeve, a removable apertured metal cup engaging the inner end of said ferrule, and a stopper positioned within the periphery of said body portion to engage said ferrule to retain said metal cup in position and to close said sleeve.

9. A bulb as in claim 6, wherein said ferrule has a flange at its outer end with relation to the said body, which ferrule flange has an axially inwardly directed end portion embedded in said sleeve.

10. In a feminine syringe, a resilient bulb having a neck opening, a discharge tube engaging said neck opening, said bulb having a fiat base portion, a filling sleeve extending inwardly of said bulb in the fiat base portion thereof, ferrule means secured to said sleeve, a cap engaging said ferrule means to close said sleeve, and means on said filling sleeve to seal against said cap, whereby said bulb can be inverted and be completely filled with liquid through said filling sleeve when discharge of liquid is prevented through said discharge tube.

11. In a feminine syringe, a resilient bulb having a neck opening, a discharge tube engaging said neck opening, said bulb having a flat base portion, a filling sleeve extending inwardly of said bulb in the flat base portion thereof, and removable means for sealing said filling opening whereby said bulb can be inverted and be completely filled through said filling sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,885 Kraft et al Oct. 14, 1919 2,206,368 Ross July 2, 1940 2,588,135 Madsen Mar. 4,1952 

